I'll Do Anything (1994)

Testing

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

Writer/director James L. Brooks attempted this comedy about an out of work actor (Nick Nolte) who gets custody of his precocious 6 year-old daughter (Whittni Wright). Though the film satirizes the Hollywood practice of test screenings, I'll Do Anything itself was a victim of them. Originally intended as a musical with songs by Prince, Brooks balked when the test screenings did not go well, cut out 11 of the 12 numbers, and patched up the holes with extra footage. Even worse, Columbia/TriStar's new DVD had an opportunity to either restore the original film or at least provide a documentary explaining what happened. It fails to do either.